Water treating apparatus



E. PICK WATER TREATING PPARATUS June 2o, 1944. 2,351,835

Filed June 4, 1942 mvENToR;

resented June 20,1944

-uNl'rli-:n STATES PATENT OFFICE l .I U ws'ranzranzirslllwasmmrus Erle Pick, New York, N.IY.,

Permutit Gompany, tion of New York, N. Y., a corpora- `.inplannen June 4, 1942, serial Ne. Massa c claims. (ci. 21o-24) Thisin'vention relates to water treating appa.- e

the bed in a clean and effective condition, all as -more fully described hereinafter and as claimed.

As water flows downwardly through a bed of washer employed in such apparatus to maintain l'ter-sand solidimpurities are removed,"mainly in the form'ofje blanket en top of the bed; but

a'substantial'portion of the impurities also penetrates leep inte the ,bed `nml ferme e coating en the filter sand grains. In ion exchange or removal apparatus, such as zeolitewater softeners,

while intended -to exchange or remove matter' dissolved in the water, asimilar action `taires place, the extent depending on the amount of solid impurities present in the'water. Y

In an attempt to remove these impurities it is common practice to backwash the. bed periodi'- cally, Le. to pass water through it upwardly to waste at a rate sumciently high to expand the bed and make it uid, and to cause the grains of sand or other granular water treatment materialto rub against each other; Such backwashing, however, is not completely effective in removing all dirt penetrating into the bed and 'adhering to the grains. In the course of time -such remaining dirt accumulates and 'causes the formation of agglomerationsof grains and dirt into solid, ballshaped masses, so-called 'mudballa which form dead spaces impassable to ow of water ltherethrough. Dirt accumulations also cause cracks in thebed and shrinkage of the bed from properly treated. All these phenomena not only seriously impair the effectiveness of filtering or otherwise treating the water, but theyalso per mit the breeding andgrowth of certain 'organisms which may contaminate l the water 'undergoing treatment. e

various devices have been'proposed to supple-v -ment backwashing for a more effective cleansing of the bed, such as mechanical rakes, and air or steam distributing gridsin .the lower portion of satisfactory and depends to a large measure on the opeatQr. Many of the .devices used, moreoverv are too cumbersome and complicated forpractical operation. Y Other devices which have .the sidewalls er the tank, opening up channels i through `which the water passeawithoutjbeing' l e wise on an enlarged scale. L

Like numerals refer to like parts throughoutcome into use to cleanse the sand beds of gravity filters employ water jets directedv toward the surface ofthe bed. Onevsuch arrangement, a rotary surface washer suggested by C. E. Palmer and described in a paper entitled Revolving filter sand washer described at State College, Pa. (Water Works Engineering, volume 92, number 15, July 19, 1939) utilizes Jets which revolve be'- cause of the reaction produced bythe `iets 'themselves.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rotary surface washer of improved design adapted to operate in closed water treating apparatus.

Another object is an improved construction of bearing and stuffing box for a rotary surface washer.

'A further object is an improved arrangement Vfor mounting a rotary surface washer in a closedA water treatment apparatus.

The manner inwhich these objects 'are achieved is shown in the appended drawing in which.

Fig. 1 is an elevation in section, more or less e diagrammatic, of an apparatus according /to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectionalOng line 2--2 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a section along line 3- 3 of'Fig.'2, on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 4 is a section along line l-l of Fig. 1, likethe several views.

Referring now to Fig. l-,lan upright cylindrical tank I0 is provided with an inlet pipe I2 for water to be treated. The pipe I2 has a branch pipe I3 leading to the top of tanlrlll and provided with A- pipe Il, leadingthrough a valve I8 to a point of use f or treated'water, i's connected withpipe I5. .A pipe I9 with valve 20 connects the branch pipe I3 with a pipe 23 leading to a point of'wa'ste,

and a pipe 2| with a valve 22 `connects the branch pipe 'I5 with thek waste pipe 23.v A pipe 25 leads from the inlet pipe 'I2` to a pipe 26 having a valve 21, and through a pipe 28 with a valve 29 to an a injector 30 which has a dischargepipe 33 and a A a2 te the through a narrow emular passage around the periphery 'of the deflector plate 35. The lower portion of `tank I0 contains a layer of gravel 36 which supports a bed of zeolite 31. On the bottom of the salttank II is a layer of gravel 38 supporting a supply of salt 38. y

Within the tank III is a pipe 4I having its upper end attached to the top head of the tank so as to be in communication with the branch pipe I3. -ilange 42 (see Fig. 3).4 Below the flange 42 is a dished deflector plate 43, and below the plate 43 vis a fitting 40, flange 42, plate 43 and fitting 40 being fastened together by means of bolts 44. Within the fitting 40 is `a cavity 45 closed at the top by plate 43 and in communication with the injector discharge pipe 33. A plurality of pipes 46 lead from the cavity 45 to brine distributors 41 spaced uniformly above the top of the zeolite bed 31. While 3 pipes 45 and distributors 41 are shown in the drawing, this number is advantageously increased for tanks of relatively large diameter. Below the cavity 45 in iltting 40 is another cavity 48 which is in communication with the pipe 28.

A hollow cylindrical stator 58 has its upper endscrewed at 5I into the fitting 48 so as to be in communication with the cavity 48.

The lower end of pipe 4I is screwed into a.

A lower end the stator 58 has an outwardly extending flange 52.` Rotatably mounted on the stator is a hollow cylindrical rotor 53 having an inside diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of flange 52. At its upper end the rotor 53 has a ange 54 extending inwardly close to the body portion of the stator 50. Within the space bounded by the cylindrical inside surface of the rotor 53, the cylindrical outside surface of the stator 50, and the flanges 52 and 54 is a ball thrust bearing consisting of bronze balls 55, a lower race 58 resting on flange 52, and an upper race 51. The remainder of said space above the ball bearing is illled with packing rings 58. The rotor -53 is prevented by a stop .screw 53' from sliding up on the stator 50 during handling and shipment. The lower end of the rotor 53 is closed by a removable V cover plate 50 held in-place by bolts 5 I At its lower end, below the flange 52, the rotor 53 has a pair of bosses 51 into which are screwed pipe arms 52 and 83 each of which carries on one side (as shown in Fig. 2) a plurality of nozzles 84. The spacing between adjacent nozzles decreases outwardly from the center of the tank, and at its outer end each of the two pipe arms 82 and 83 has a nozzle 55. There is a similar nozzle 88 screwed into the side ofv the rotor 53 approximately on the center line of pipe arms 82 and B3, and at right angles thereto. The nozzles 54, '65 and '88 are inclined downwardly to the horizontal at an angle of about 15 to 20, as shown in Fig. 4. The pipe arms 82 and 63 are located as close to the top of thezeoiite bed `31 as is practical.

In normal operation, valves I4 and I3 are open,

- all other valves being closed. Raw water enters Y the softening capacity ofthe zeolite has been exhausted the'ilow to service is stopped by closing valves I4 and I8.

As the initial step in the cycle 'oi' regenerating operations the bed is cleansed. Iiirst, valves 28 and further through pipe arms 82 and 33 to nozzles 54 and 185. The number and size of the nozzles are so chosen that with a supply pressure vof 50 to 100 pounds per square inch the water is discharged at a rate of about one-halfto one gallon per minute per square foot of horizontal cross sectional area of the tank I 0. The reaction forces resulting from the 'discharge of water through'the nozzles 84 cause the rotor 53 with the pipe arms 62 and 53 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, as indicated by/ the arrow in Fig. 2. It will be observed that this direction o f rotation tends to tighten the right hand threaded joint 5I between. stator 50' and fitting 40. The rotating jets emanating from nozzles 54, 85 and 58 at a velocity of more than 1004 feet per second effectively break up the entire dirt blanket collected on the surface oi the zeolite bed 31. The water discharged by the nozzles flows upwardly around plate 43 and via pipes 4I,I3,20and23towaste.

After about one to two minutes valve I5 is opened, admittingfbackwash water through pipes I2 and I5 to the bottom of the tank at a rate sufilcient to make the bed 31 fluid without, however, expanding it appreciably. Backwashing and surface washing now proceed simultaneously, and during this time the entire bed is thoroughly cleansed. Due to the flow oi' backwash water the b ed is4 in a loosened and fluidI condition so V that the rotating surface wash iets are given an opportunity to penetrate deeply into the bed, rolling 'it over and agltating it, and. in the course of time reaching and eifectively scouring every dilute brine discharged by the injector 38 passes.

through pipe 33, cavity 45, pipes 45 and brine distributors 41 into the tank III, downwardly through the lhed 31, and to waste via pipes I5, 2I and 23. When the required amount oi'- brine has been introduced, valves 23 and 32 are closed and valve I4 is opened so` that raw water how enters lthrough pipes I2, I3 and 4I, rinsingv the spent brine from the bed 31 and flowing to waste through pipes I5, -2I and 23. When the bed 31 has been rinsed free of all brine, valve 22 is closed and valve I8 opened, restoring the softener once.

more to normal service. l .s y,

While I have illustrated and described my invention with particular reference to a sodium zeolite water softener it may,of course, also, be. used with water treatment equipment based `ol hydrogen ion exchange or on the removal or exchange of anions.

My invention is particularly useful in water illters. In that case the zeolite bed 3 1 is replaced by a bed of illter sand, and the salt tank II aswell as the injector 30 with their associated pipes and fittings are omitted. The operation is analogous to that described above for a water softener. In cleansing the bed, the surface wash is first 21 re o ned. Raw water isv now admitted mughapipez' u," and cavity 4s 1;@ nozzle 36,- 75 `eratiomln a illter generally referred as filteroperated alone forone to two minutes,l then concurrently with the -ba'ckwash for 5 to l0 minutes, andflnally the backwash water alone is allowed to ilowfor about one minute. The -regenerat' ing step is, ofcourse., omitted, but the rinse op-- to-waste step, is used to remove the raw water left in the sand and gravel voids at the termination of the backwashing operation.

For good operation the surface wash water should be supplied under a pressure of 50 to '75 pounds per square inch. When such pressure is not available, a suitable'booster pump must be provided. Unless the water supplied to the rotaryvsurface washer is free of relatively large suspended particles, the installation of a strainer ln pipe 25 is recommended in order to catch such Lmpurities which might clog the nozzles.

A filter or other water treating apparatus' equipped with a surface wash system according to,my.invention and operated as described, will remain permanently clean and efiicient. Even an installed water treatment unit ,with a dirty and contaminated bed can readily be cleaned in short arms extending laterally from said rotor and nozzles mounted on one side of each of said pipe arms.

v 2. A water treating apparatus comprising a tank containing a bed of granular water treatment material and having valved inlet and outlet pipes communicating with said tank on opposite sides of the bed, one of said pipes extending through thetop of said tank, deector means for order by the installation of my rotary surface washer; in such cases it `will often eliminate the task of unloading the unit and cleaning the waber treatment material extraneously which not only is costly but also entails an appreciable loss of material. Y

A further advantage of the rotary surface wash system is that it saves wash water because both the rate of iiow and the duration of backwashing' can be substantially reduced.

It will be noted that in my construction the packing material 58 is compressed by a force consisting of the weight of the rotor B3 and the pipe arms 82 and 0 1, plus a force consisting of the water pressure acting downwardly on an area equal to the cross sectional area of the stator 50. Thus, the force compressing the packing I8 remains constant which means that the correct functionlng of the washer cannot become impeded either by an excessive tightening of the stuiling box which would interfere with free rotation` of the surface washer, nor by leakage which would redistributing and collecting water mounted within said tank on the end of said one'pipe in/spaced relation thereto, a fitting attached to said Qmeans, and ai rotary surface washer comprising a stator supported on said fitting, a connection extending from said inlet pipe through said fitting to said stator, and arotorrotatably mounted on said stator and provided withmeans for causing `said rotor to rotate `and for agitating said bed,

saidV last named means comprising pipearms ex- H tending laterally from said rotor and nozzles mounted on one side of 4each of said pipe arms.

3. A water treating apparatus comprising a tank containing-a bed of granular water treatthrough the top of said tank, deilector means for -distributing and collecting water mounted within said tank adjacent the end of said one pipe,

and a rotary surface washer comprising a holduce the strength of the iets. This is particularly important in closed water treatment units of the pressure type where the operation ofthe washer cannot be observed, although my system is, of course, well suited for use in equipment of y erence is, therefore, made to the appended claims for a definition of the scope of my invention.

What I claim is: Y 1. A water treating apparatus comprising a tank containing a bed of granular water treatment material and having valved inlet andoutlet pipes 'communicating with said tank on opposite sides of the bed, one of said pipes extending through the top of said tank, deflectorxneans for alternately distributingwater received from an outside source and collecting water and discharging it-to waste, mounted .within vsaid tank adjacent the 'end of said one pipe, a fitting attached to said means, and a rotary surface washer comprising a stator supported op said fitting, a connection extending Afrom said inlet pipe through said fitting to said stator, and a rotor rotatably mounted on said stator and provided with means forjcausing said rotor to rotate and for agitating low stator supported within said tank below said means and having a cylindrical portion and a iiange,V a' hollow rotor rotatably mounted on said stator and having av cylindrical portion and a' flange, packing material within a space bounded by said cylindrical portions and said flanges, said packing material beingcompressed by the weight of said rotor, laterally extending pipe arms on said rotor, nozzles mounted on one side of each of said pipe arms, and a connection communicating with said inlet pipe for supplying 4water to said stator.

4. A water treating apparatus comprising a nected with said collecting means, an inlet pipe connected with the lower portion of said tank, a rotary self-propelling surface washer mounted 'within said tank belowv said collecting nieans and comprising a hollow stator having a cylindrical portion and a flange,-means for supporting the upper end of said statorna hollow rotor rotatably mounted von said stator and having a cylindrical portion and a flange, packing material within a space bounded by said cylindrical portionsl and said flanges, saidv packing lmaterial being comipressed by the weight of'said rotor, laterally extending pipe arms on said rotor, nozzles mounty .ed on one side of eachof said pipe arms, and means, for supplying water under Ipressure to said stator. v

5. A-water treating apparatus -comprising a a tank containing a bed ofgranular water treatment material, water collecting means mounted within ,said tank near its top, a waste pipe connected with said collecting means, an inlet pipe connected with thelower -portion of said tank, a Arotary self-propelling surface washer mounted within said tank belowsaid collecting means and comprising a stator having a passage for water extending longitudinally therethrough, means for supporting the upper end of said stator, a cylindrical outside surface on said stator, an extersaid bed, said last named means comprising pipe u nally extending flange near the lower end of Said stator, a hollow rotor adapted to slide' over said stator and having an internal cylindrical surface closely spaced from the periphery of said externally extending flange. anl internal :Bange near the upper end of the rotor and extending close to said cylindrical outside surface, packing material within the space bounded by said cylindrical surfaces and said nanges, a cover closing the lower end ofsaid rotor, laterally extending pipe arms on said rotor, nozzles mounted on one 10 side of each of said pipe arms, and means for supplying water under pressure to said stator.

6. A water treating apparatus comprising a tank containing a bed of granular water treatment material, water collecting means mounted within said tank near its top. a waste pipe connected with said collecting means, an inlet pipe connected with the lower portion of said tank, a rotary self-propelling surface washer mounted within said tank below said collecting -means and 20 comprising a stator having a passage for water supporting the upper end of said stator, a cylin drical outside surface on said stator, an externally extending flange near the lower end of said stator, a hollow rotor adapted to slide over said stator and having an internal cylindrical surface closely spaced from the periphery of said externally extending flange, an internal flange near the upper end of the rotor and extending close to said cylindrical outside surface, a ball thrust bearing and packing material within the space bounded by said cylindrical surfaces and said flanges and compressed by the weight of the rotor, a cover closing the lower end of said rotor, laterally extending pipe arms on said rotor, nozzles mounted on one side of each of said pipe arms, and means for supplying water under pressure to said stator.

ERIC PICK. 

